When it comes to fly fishing, I love it all. I certainly have my favorite spots, favorite flies, rods, reels, rivers, streams, and so-on. So, it's with no small amount ofconflict that I dare say my favorite kind of fly fishing is in small streams.

01-03-2011, 01:50 AM

Ron Eagle Elk

Hugo, you seemed to do rather well on the larger rivers at Lowell as well. Like you, I have a love for small stream fishing, and have found they sometimes hold very large fish.

REE

01-03-2011, 04:21 PM

Thunderthumbs

Thanks, Ron, but I think it's more dumb luck than skill...of course, like most, I'd rather be lucky than good, lol. I can't wait to spend a little more time fishing those rivers next year.

TT.

01-03-2011, 04:45 PM

sagefisher

I love pocket water fishing on small mountain streams. That is why I bought a 7.5 foot bamboo rod, just for that style of fishing. Montana has some great small streams and Washington isn't too bad either.

Larry ---sagefisher---

01-03-2011, 07:58 PM

ScottP

A few years ago, after fishing for a week in Yellowstone, I decided to take a break from the bigger, "name" streams and head outside the park to a creek that was recommended by a guide in one of the flyshops. Had one of my most memorable days fishing ever; used nothing but attractor dries, had a blast catching cutt-bows (actually took a little time to get my timing down and hook them, they were a lot slower to the fly than the browns and bows I had been catching the previous week), none real big but a few pushing 12" and in that little stream that's a lot of fish. It was almost like a video game, the fish were holding where the fish should be and as long as I made a halfway decent cast they'd bite; flies didn't seem to matter so I stuck with something bright and bouyant. Went back the next year, figuring I had this place wired, hit it in the middle of a massive spruce moth "hatch" and barely caught anything; the ones I did bring to hand were stuffed to the gills with the moths. Can't wait to take another shot at them, though. Also have a few other streams I want to hit in the Bob Marshall when hiking this summer; don't think I'll have to worry about crowds.

Regards,
Scott

01-03-2011, 08:19 PM

mcsteff

Dr G
Thanks for the nice story. I caught my first trout ever outside of Laramie in the Snowy Range - South Brush Creek, at least that was the name of the campground...1969...camping with my new bride of 8 months...whee...thanks for the memories.
mcsteff

01-03-2011, 09:31 PM

Panman

Thanks for the story. For me there is nothing better than fishing a small steam for native trout.

Tim

01-03-2011, 10:56 PM

Thunderthumbs

Mcsteff,

That might have been the name of the campground...I'm trying to wrack my brain, just can't seem to remember. I wish I could find that map!

This article kindled to flame some very fond memories I hold from my years as a young fly fishing enthusiast. Specifically I recall a small feeder creek to the Middle Fork of the Boise River. I was fortunate enough to participate in a horse pack trip up that creek with a boy scout troupe one summer. I brought along a five piece fly rod and some Renegades, Ginger Quills and hoppers and caught fish after fish in water you could hop over just about everywhere. Some of them were up to 12 inches, which surprised me greatly. A few were rainbows, but most were Dolly Varden. Beautiful fish. Since then, I?ve drooled any time I see a small creek in the mountains, cascading down through rocks from tiny pool to tiny pool, or sliding with a slight rustle through tall meadow grass alive with hoppers. The fish are more likely to be wild, because they plant the bigger streams, which means that these trout are beautifly colored and sassy as a spoiled kid. As you noted, they are also mostly free of human competition. I love them.